Rare Advice Every Transgender Woman Needs to Hear

Before a trans woman begins transitioning, there are a host of things that can induce stress. This stress tends to compound with time during transitioning and the recovery period.

This article will provide some advice to help you go through this arduous process and emerge stronger through it all.

 

Healthy Boundaries

Knowledge about the trans community and the procedures and surgeries they undergo during transitioning is limited in mainstream media.

Despite the rise in trans visibility, people are still largely not as educated in these areas. Especially in terms of transitioning, there is a lot of curiosity and confusion among cis people.

The curiosity is understandable; however, you may not feel comfortable discussing these details. In addition, there are thousands of resources available online that they can refer to.

Do not feel obligated to discuss things that make you uncomfortable. Many people might ask you invasive questions about your private regions and it is crucial to establish healthy boundaries.

If you feel obligated to respond to every question directed at you, the journey might get even more stressful. You decide how open you want to be about transitioning.

This includes hormones, breast augmentation, bottom surgery, and so on. Be assertive when faced with inappropriate and offensive questions.   

 

Don’t Compare

The next thing to remember is that every person’s transitioning journey is unique. So, it is best not to compare. This is easier said than done and sometimes, insecurities tend to creep up.

Transition is an entire journey and different people are at different stops. In fact, not everyone pauses at each stop.

Some might not want to undergo breast augmentation surgery while others might shy away from facial feminization surgery. As a result, this is a very personal process for each person.

Similarly, how passable you are would depend on many factors ranging from genes to how soon you start your transitioning process. Therefore, it is important not to compare yourself with other trans women.

You are on your own path and you will emerge stronger.  More importantly, do not compare your attributes with the brutal beauty standards placed on women, particularly if you transitioned after male puberty.

Focus on the beautiful aspects of transitioning- you are on an amazing journey to connect with your true self and bridge the mismatch you have been experiencing. 

          

Do Not Internalize Transphobia

Society has widespread transphobia and it is very easy to internalize you. Internalization is a common practice observed in marginalized or discriminated communities.

Transphobia around you can sometimes seep into your thought process. This may lead to feelings of low self-worth.

Do not let these discourses make you question your womanhood or believe that you are less than. Unfortunately, many trans people agree with transphobic cis people.

You need to break out of that cycle. You do not need transphobic people to accept you. Once you learn to look beyond other people’s validation, you will start to love yourself more.

To eliminate internalized transphobia, you need to accept your trans identity. To do so, the first step is to cut out people who tend to propagate these ideas that make you question your womanhood or lead you to believe that you hold less value than cisgendered people.

Eventually, self-love, reflection, and acceptance can help you get over the remaining traces of internalized transphobia. 

 

While these three tips are quite challenging to follow, they will help you in the long-run. They will help you feel better about yourself and accept your gender identity.

They will also ensure that you only surround yourself with people who are good for you who help you get through these arduous times with a smile. We hope this helps. Good luck!!   

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